Infinity Gaming Magazine March 2012

News Exclusive – Full Tilt Poker SOFTWARE Ladbrokes pocket huge bonus Macau money laundering?

Gala’s £42.1m Founder Edward Wray steps down from the Board Playtech profits soar

Article’s

Women in the boardroom Top 10 influential women in business Casino Customer Service Training The Science of Sharing Information Online

interview’s Carolyn Goodman Mayor of Las Vegas

Debra Nutton

SVP Casino Operations and Marketing MGM Grand Casino

Sara & Kirsty The IGA Hostesses

Gavin Isaacs CEO Shufflemaster

Raj Vemulapalli VICE PRESIDENT of MOBILE ENGINEERING

Professor I. Nelson Rose

life style Social media was key this International Women’s Day App in the driving seat

technology 41 megapixel comeback Beam me up Google is watching you…

Introducing the iPhone 5?

Windows Phones to eat up Apple?

special feature

Women in Gaming Networking Event 2012

Interview with

Carolyn Goodman Mayor of Las Vegas

Q: Mayor Goodman thank you for taking the time to speak to us at Infinity Gaming Magazine, firstly you were elected Mayor in June 2011. What has the first seven months been like as Mayor?

A: I actually had no intention of running, but as filing started to close in its last week, I became concerned that none of the candidates would be better suited to complete the vision and projects that my husband had begun than I – for I was side-by-side with him those 12 years of his tenure and wanted to ensure that what was started was finished. I told him as we were going to bed one night that I was considering it. In the morning he woke up and said, “Don’t do it,” and I said, “I’m running.”

Q: Of course as Las Vegas is known as the Capital of Gambling or some say “Sin City” how do you feel about those labels?

A: You know Las Vegas is really two stories, one is the tourism aspect and that’s where catchy monikers like “Sin City” and “What Happens Here Stays Here,” come in. Those are ways to advertise that we are the tourism capital of the world with the best in entertainment, hotels, boutique shopping, fivestar restaurants and gaming. What people sometimes do not realize is that there is another Las Vegas beyond the neon and that is a great city where people want to live, work, play and enjoy a fine quality of life with all of the amenities.

Q: We guess that some would say the Las Vegas Mayor’s office is now a family Goodman affair, what would you say?

Q: How much of your work or time is taken up with the Gambling Industry?

A: Well it is unique that a sitting mayor swears in his/her spouse, but I really think that the citizens saw the direction that the city was moving under my husband and wanted to continue down that path.

I wouldn’t really call us a dynasty or anything, but we do have four very successful children and six grandchildren, so you never know.

A: I’m often out speaking and welcoming various organizations and groups to Las Vegas for their conventions. These are held in various property locations, so I’m often stopping by in my capacity as an ambassador of Las Vegas. Gaming and tourism is our number one industry followed closely by a being mecca for convention gatherings. I don’t see any of that changing.

A: It really has been wonderful. We are seeing some of the major projects that the city has been working on for years open their doors for the first time. The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, the Mob Museum and the new City Hall have all recently opened, and they continue to build the momentum for a revitalized and resurgent downtown Las Vegas.

Q: You actually replaced your husband as Mayor (Oscar Goodman), was that decided while he was still Mayor or how did that happen?

Q: Is having a former Mayor of Las Vegas at home, helpful when there are problems or not?

A: He is a great resource. He is someone I can use as a sounding board and learn from his advice and mistakes. But he makes sure that he waits for me to ask. He is very busy with his new life as the ambassador of Las Vegas for the Convention and Visitors Authority and the face of the Mob Museum and a new restaurant at the Plaza Hotel in the downtown area, “Oscar’s.”

Q: What are your plans for Las Vegas as Mayor?

A: I really want to continue to push the city towards new levels of greatness. My husband and I have always thought that to be a truly world-class city that city should have the best in culture, top quality medicine, medical research and medical tourism and be a site for professional sports. We now have the Smith Center for Performing Arts and the unique medicine with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health Institute, and we are working very hard to get a world-class arena built downtown to host a major league team from the NBA and/or the NHL.

Q: Las Vegas over the last few years has had a hard time, both gambling and for residents, do both go hand in hand with fortunes?

A: We have actually seen a rebound, and Las Vegas is on its way back. The casino win is up, the visitation numbers have increased steadily for 23 months, and the average daily rates at the hotels are up. Las Vegas’ demise is always greatly exaggerated in the press whenever there is a slowdown with the economy, but we aren’t going anywhere. Certainly since tourism is our number one industry, the city “feels it” when the economy is down, and that is one reason why we are working hard to diversify our economy. For example, by moving into a new City Hall, the city has freed up the old City Hall to serve as a campus and headquarters for Zappos.com, and I. T. and telemarketing merchandising corporation.

Q: How do you see the future of Las Vegas in 2012 and beyond?

A: Our future is very bright. In 2012 I know we will continue to see the economy rebound as people continue to look [omit] to Las Vegas to visit, have some fun, to live, to hold a meeting, a solid place

in which to invest, start a business and to see us thrive. Beyond I see the world-class city we are working to become continuing to evolve with a diversified economy offering the best in medicine, a rich culture and a home to professional sports.

Q: Do you think the LV Gambling Industry has to change to survive or do they keep on doing what they are now?

A: No one can touch Las Vegas when it comes to gaming and tourism. The only constraint on Las Vegas’ evolution is the bounds of the human imagination. Las Vegas has always changed with the times, and I have no doubt that we’ll continue to do so. For an example of the ongoing ingenuity, we are adding world-class museums offering a uniqueness in a Mob Museum and the soon –to-open Neon Museum that will draw hundreds of thousands of people.

Q: There has been so much excitement about Online Gambling coming back to the US and indeed Las Vegas seems to be leading the charge for this, how do you see online gambling?

A: Once again, the people who run our casinos are much more knowledgeable than I am in this area. I know that they are leading the charge and making sure that Las Vegas is in the best possible position when it comes to online gambling. One thing to remember is that no matter what advances are made online, there is only one Las Vegas, and the live experiences here are amazing, exciting, and unique.

Q: Macau has now overtaken Las Vegas in revenues in gambling, is there anything Las Vegas can learn from this new upstart?

A: Las Vegas is very healthy, but there may be things we can learn about serving the international markets that Macau targets. I know that the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority works very hard to promote the city globally and is always reaching out to engage new markets and new direct international flights to the city.

Q: What will Mayor Goodman be focusing on this year specifically for Las Vegas?

A: As I mentioned previously, one of the focuses will be on getting a state-of-the-art arena in downtown Las Vegas, but another focus will be to continue to encourage businesses to open in our city. We have become quite sophisticated in being more business friendly, yet there is still more that we can accomplish to become even more attractive. We recently transferred all of our development services to one location and building and have made great strides in slashing the time it takes to get approvals for business-related issues. Additionally, we are providing more and more of our services online.

Q: Finally Mayor, will Las Vegas be the hustling, bustling, exciting town it is now in twenty years time or will it be something different?

A: Las Vegas will always be Las Vegas. In 20 years I am confident that we will have some new and exciting hotel-casinos, wonderful and unique new restaurants, the tops in entertainment and shopping, but we’ll still be the Las Vegas that the world knows and loves. Our downtown will be a completely different place in that time and will be the place in the city for the vintage Vegas vibe, the arts, culture and sports and a rewarding lifestyle.

Interview with

Debra Nutton SVP Casino Operations and Marketing MGM Grand Casino

Q: Debi it has been a couple of years since our last meeting with you, could you tell our readers what your role is with MGM? A: I am the SVP of Casino Operations and Marketing. In my role I am responsible for all table games, race and sports, slots, poker, casino marketing, and transportation.

Q: In the last few years times have been difficult for Las Vegas, how did MGM cope with their High end customers in that time, did it affect business dramatically?

A: It has been a difficult few years but our company is built to last.

We opened ARIA at CityCenter during the recession and it was just a record year for our industry. MGM Grand is currently undergoing a property-wide renovation because we are constantly refreshing and updating our properties, to provide exciting new features in our resorts for our guests each time they visit. Throughout the difficult times, our high-end players have remained loyal, thanks to our staff and the Villas at the Mansion and Skyloft.

Q: Recently however Las Vegas has been performing better, would you agree the recovery is underway?

A: I totally agree. There is more regional competition opening daily but Las Vegas is still the preferred destination for more than gaming, because Las Vegas remains the mecca of entertainment. We are much more focused on dining, shopping, shows and pampering, and that is now where we generate the bulk of our revenues.

Q: Debi you live and work in Las Vegas, what has been the effect of the recession and downturn in business on the town?

A: The Real Estate crisis definitely hit Las Vegas hard. This crisis, coupled with consumer fear, has definitely had a less than desired effect on local business.

Q: What sets your company apart from your competition in the market for the “whales” as they are known?

A: We believe in personalized service for all of our guests, from the $5.00 player to the “Whale”. We have a culture that focuses on our employees, and when you have happy employees they provide better service to your guests. In addition, we have more properties at the high-end that cater to the most discerning guest. From the Mansion Villas to the Sky Suites at ARIA we have some of the best accommodations and restaurants in the world.

Q: Las Vegas has been around for a long time; however Macau has passed it in a few years with income and attendance. How do you see the new kid on the block (Macau) and is there anything Las Vegas can learn from them?

A: We can learn something from all of our competitors. We see Macau as a world-class gaming destination and we are pleased to be in that market with MGM Grand Macau. We have hopes to build more in Macau. The presence of our MGM Grand brand in Macau actually has presented tremendous opportunities for cross-marketing between Vegas and Macau. Through our Hospitality division, we are expanding our world-renowned brands into both gaming and non-gaming markets around the world. We just opened MGM Grand Sanya, a non-gaming property, and will continue to penetrate markets in Asia and around the world. As our Chairman Jim Murren said just today, we know that our brands resonate in China.

Q: There has been so much talk and excitement about the online gambling industry and indeed Las Vegas being first with online poker. Does this impact on you in any way and what is your opinion with the online gambling industry?

Q: Finally if you could talk to President Obama on how to improve the fortunes of Las Vegas, what would be the three things needed to help Las Vegas Casinos and residents get going again?

A: We hope to be a leader in the on-line gaming industry and believe that that we can create synergies between our online casinos and our bricks-and-mortar properties around the world.

1. We need to attract new businesses and industries to Las Vegas, which will create jobs and help to stimulate our local economy.

Q: Can online gambling do anything to help Las Vegas?

2. Funding for Education. Nevada lags far behind other states for school funding and we need to focus on our future leaders now.

A: Yes, anything that exposes more people to the excitement of gaming will help Las Vegas.

3. The housing crisis has had a very negative impact to the residents of Las Vegas. We need to stop the foreclosures and short sales and keep people in their homes.

Q: How do you see the future for Las Vegas Debi?

A: The future is bright and Jim Murren has predicted that 2012 will be a record-setting year for our industry. Las Vegas offers some of the finest dining, hotel rooms and suites, golf, and entertainment in the world. Las Vegas has been through some tough times before, such as post-9/11, and we have remained resilient despite the tremendous challenges.

Interview with

Sara & Kirsty

The IGA Hostesses

Ladies you have now hosted four International Gaming Awards and the attendees and the organizers look at you as very much a part of the evening than anything else, however the Infinity Gaming Magazine have never managed to interview you until now.

Q: You girls are identical twins, which one of you was born first?

A: Kirsty was born first.

Q: As identical twins are there anything our readers can recognize about you to tell you apart?

A: well there are a few differences some days we look the spitting image of each other and others we don’t even look alike.

Q: We all know Sara & Kirsty as the IGA Hostesses, what else do you girls do?

A: Well aswell as being the IGA Hostesses, which we love doing every year, we are both presenters working along side various media companies at the moment. We are professionally trained dancers and have stared in music videos, tv, theatre and Bollywood movies. We have been the faces of the swan super bike team for the last three years and are both fully trained beauty therapists.

Q: Where in the World have you travelled with work?

A: There’s so many places to list but to name a few...

Germany nuremberg India Mumbai, Hyderabad France, Lille, Paris Q: Worst experience in your work?

A: Going to India to do the Bollywood movies was the best and worst experience all rolled into one haha Q: Most embarrassing time?

A: struggling to find just one answer to this, we seem to embarrass ourselves on a daily basis and then just laugh it off :) :)

Q: You have pretty much seen the birth of the IGA till how it is now, what differences have you seen?

A: the IGA has grown excessively over the last few years with more and more top guests attending the prestigious event. The highly creative, efficient and passionate team make it an unmissable event. Every year the money raised for charity is phenomenal and this is what the event is all about aswell as having a great evening with great company.

Q: Has there ever been a difficult moment while at the Awards?

A: Yes, the first we were asked to take part we handed over the wrong award................. * awkward * Q: Clever Duck Media the Organizers of the Awards are looking to utilize your skills as interviewers and maybe presenters for the next event. Have you had any experience or training for this?

A: Yes we now have two years experience interviewing and presenting. We think we would be great doing the interview on the red carpet entrance ;) ;) Q: What does the future hold for Sara & Kirsty?

A: Who knows?

We have lots of things in the pipe line but don’t want to tempt fate.

Q: Do you think that the twins and the awards will be together for years to come? We know our readers and attendees hope so.

A: We hope so, we think they are supporting a great charity and are a fantastic team to work with.

Interview with

Gavin Isaacs CEO Shufflemaster

Q: Gavin thank you for taking the time to talk to us today, firstly can we start with how the recent ICE Expo in London went for ShuffleMaster?

A: ICE is the main trade show for our European team with customers primarily from the European, Middle Eastern and African [EMEA] regions.

However, many major customers from North America also attend. Unlike many other trade shows, this is one where customers actually come and make purchasing decisions.

I was particularly pleased with the strong interest and constant buzz surrounding our i-Tables, the new MD3 card shuffler, the Easy Chipper D, and our Interactive display. Our new diagnostic software was also a big hit. The i-Tables attracted a lot of interest from Europeans who love the idea of a hybrid table and also can benefit from lower tax rates compared to a live table.

The ICE show features the most robust Interactive display in the world. Because casino table games are one of the most lucrative aspects of any online casino site, we received a lot of attention by virtue of our very strong intellectual property portfolio and our many popular specialty table games brands.

All in all, the energy at our booth was truly impressive. It was completely packed the entire three days with customers engaged in hands-on demonstrations of our products. Next year I look forward to featuring innovations from our entire product range including more electronic tables and our sleek, new Equinox cabinet.

Q: You have been at the helm now for a year, how has the past year gone for the company and Mr Isaacs?

A: I’m having a great time leading this extraordinary company. When I came on board in April, I immediately tried to determine Shuffle Master’s core strengths and weaknesses. The core strengths that I correctly assumed from day one were the team, the culture, and the intellectual property. I have worked with some great teams in the past, but Shuffle Master is among the best. This is a dedicated, passionate and hard-working crew, and our brainstorming sessions are invigorating.

As for company performance, I’m very proud of what we’ve accomplished so far. When you look at our year-over-year performance and growth compared to our peers last year, we clearly led the pack. That doesn’t happen by accident; it’s the result of improved execution, innovative and relevant products, and strong customer relationships. Last year we undertook a strategic review of our business and looked for ways in which to grow our company over the next three years. In each of our major product lines we saw and still see huge opportunities for improvement and have set strategies for growth in each area.

Q: Recently there has been much been said about ShuffleMaster looking at joint ventures as opposed to buying up companies. Is this correct?

A: With an incredibly strong balance sheet, minor debt obligations and an enviable cash position, we’re often asked about our investment strategy.

Since our business is so heavily driven by intellectual property, we’re constantly looking at tuck-in acquisitions that can help build our robust brand and patent portfolio. Certainly if the opportunity was right and we found a good strategic partner, we would be open to a joint venture.

Q: What are the plans for ShuffleMaster in 2012?

A: Shuffle Master has very specific plans for the next three years and we’re very committed to our strategic growth initiatives. We want to continue to be the leader in the segments in which we operate. We think we are uniquely positioned in our current core business, and are excited about our new products. For 2012, we believe that the MD3 shuffler will continue its impressive momentum, bringing unprecedented speed, security and reliability to the table. I’m also excited to provide our new “owap” – or inter-casino linked progressives – to customers looking for ways to bring more excitement to the pit. We’re going to continue to invest and grow in the e-table business, and continue to strengthen our slot business. The i-Table Roulette debuts commercially in the coming month and we feel confident that customers will recognize its unique – and lengthy – value proposition. And 2012 will see the formal launch of our secure, scalable and content-rich online offerings. It’s going to be a truly exciting year and we’re more focused on the customer than we’ve ever been.

Q: The Company recently purchased “Fire Bet”, how has that deal gone and what plans are there for it?

A: Per your question regarding acquisitions, Fire Bet is a great example of a bolt-on offering that makes perfect strategic sense for us. This is a proven, successful side bet for craps that we easily folded into our specialty table games offerings. Fire Bet provides a solid recurring revenue base of approximately 300 installs; and with our many resources and licenses, we can significantly grow placements by offering the game to more customers in more locations. This is a particularly fun side bet - players win the Fire Bet if the shooter makes at least four distinct points before he or she Sevens Out. If the shooter makes all six distinct points, bettors can win up to 1,000 to 1 odds.

Q: Online Gaming is talked about a lot among land based gaming companies, either looking to move into it or already involved. What is ShuffleMaster doing in this sector?

A: In 2011, we unveiled a new product segment: Shuffle Interactive. We have a team of developers dedicated to creating online versions of our popular table game brands, which will be available for play on legal gaming sites for real money as well as all major social media channels. As the leading provider of intellectual property for proprietary table games, it makes perfect sense for Shuffle Master to develop content for what is currently one of the most profitable aspects of any online gaming site.

Q: As a US-based company, do you think that will give you a better position once online gaming is eventually opened up again in the US? A: Yes. By having over 280 licenses, many of which are in the US, we clearly have an initial advantage in that market. By adding Shuffle Interactive to our repertoire, we are positioning ourselves to hit the ground running when online gaming is legalized in the US. And we’re already seeing states moving forward with various iGaming initiatives, like Nevada. Protecting our IP is a very important ongoing business initiative that we’ve now extended to the online space and it’s an area we continue to focus on.

Q: Is online gaming valuable to Shufflemaster for its future?

A: Absolutely. Online gaming is a critical component of Shuffle Master’s growth strategy and represents the future, but it’s not the only lever we’ll rely on. As we continue to evolve, we will never forget our heritage and we will continue protecting and preserving the areas in which we have core expertise, like shufflers and table games. However, we will expand our product offerings and fuel growth in each segment, including online gaming, to ensure great opportunities in the years ahead.

Q: More generally, Japan is being discussed also as a new sector for Gaming, how big could that market be?

A: Because the pachinko and pachislot markets are so dominant in Japan with annual revenues in the ballpark of US$300B, it seems to imply that if casino style gaming were legal potential revenue could be significant. How big the market could approximate is largely dependent on what would be allowed and style of venues, i.e. large integrated resorts vs. smaller venues with an open market structure. The casino agenda

has built momentum in the wake of the tsunami however the political landscape has remained largely unchanged. Casinos could be a tremendous source for much-needed tax revenue and the government appears to recognize the opportunity as neighbors Korea and the Philippines move forward with their own gaming agendas. I think we’re seeing that the demand and the appetite exist in Japan; for example, Japanese visitation to Macau is quite strong. There’s a wide range of estimates as to how large the market could be, but the conservative consensus is that it would at least be as large as Singapore. Whatever happens and whenever it happens, Shuffle Master will look for ways to be involved.

Q: Shufflemaster sponsored the 5th International Gaming Awards (IGA) this year and in an interview at the time, you said that 2012 has to be better than 2011. Do you still believe that will be the fact and how?

A: Yes. Outside of some obvious issues in the Euro zone, current economic trends seem to be more positive today than they were 12 months ago.

I hope current issues in the Middle East do not derail this momentum. I would say that Shuffle Master built some great momentum in 2011 and we are continuing to improve execution across the board. There are many opportunities available to us by simply sharpening our profile in certain growth regions, like Latin America, Asia and Canada. We’re building our teams in these areas and aligning product management and our sales approach to the various opportunities. As the industry evolves we’re seeing a greater appetite for technology-driven innovation and this presents opportunity for us to drive new products like the i-Table, inter-casino linked progressives, and our latest shufflers, to name a few.

Q: Finally before we leave you Gavin, do you have a prediction for 2012 to share we readers that you think is most likely to happen?

A: That the Packers will win the Super Bowl and regain their title, and that the Roosters will win the Australian Rugby league NRL Grand Final!! In all seriousness, I believe that 2012 will see a lot of activity on the iGaming front and you’ll be hearing more and more about the online strategies of various gaming companies. In light of the new interpretation of the Wire Act, domestically I think you’ll see more states flirting with various iGaming legislation.

Women in the boardroom Board of men? New figures reveal how women are racing ahead of men in the executive world that “the calibre of the female influencers throughout the industry blew us away.” It goes to show that WiG looks beyond quotas and showcases the very best leading, influential ladies in the industry sharing their wealth of knowledge and experience.

Professor Susan Vinnicombe OBE, co-author of the report said: “The past 12 months have seen a significant amount of global activity around diversifying boards. After a decade of incremental increases in the UK, we are pleased to be reporting improvements that are more substantive. If the momentum we have seen since the Lord Davies’ review continues we could achieve 30% women on boards in less than four years, which would be a terrific achievement. We urge chairmen, chief executives; executive search firms, investors, journalists and women to stay focused and use this momentum to change the status quo permanently.”

ARE women still, with hopeful anticipation, standing outside the boardroom when it comes to the executive world? Recent figures released by the Cranfield School of Management confirmed that the percentage of female directors on FTSE 100 boards has grown from 12.5 per cent last year to 15.6 per cent.

This year’s Women in Gaming networking and awards event highlights the women who race past these figures.

The recent figures put London’s largest listed businesses on track to meet a Government target of a quarter of places in the boardroom being held by women by 2015, even if they’re only restricted to nonexecutive roles. So in hindsight, the progress is slower. To put it in perspective, there are only 20 women, compared with 17 in 2004.

Tying in with this, Women in Gaming 2012 (WiG) strives towards eradicating this male dominated mindset and boardroom; the networking and awards event strenuously champions women towards stepping up to the gaming plate. The gaming industry across the globe has always been looked at as male dominated and highly competitive.

WiG wants to prove this notion and in some areas a reality, wrong.

Women can hold executive positions just as well as men and Women in Gaming, year after year, has proved this. The judging panel for the awards event is also made up of the crème de la crème of women across the gaming sectors. In light of the recent figures released by Cranfield School of Management, the gaming world doesn’t just strive towards meeting quotas for the sake of it. Attendees who graced WiG last year said

Home Secretary and Minister for Women and Equalities Theresa May said: “I’m delighted by this unprecedented progress. While there’s still much to be done, today we should celebrate just how far we have come. It is particularly encouraging that this progress has been led by businesses. Government has put in place the framework, but it’s companies themselves who are seeing that they simply cannot afford to ignore the skills and talent of half the population.”

The Cranfield report reveals a significant move in the right direction. The number of female-held directorships has risen to 15.6%, an increase on what was a three year plateau of 12%. Jane Scott, UK director of the Professional Boards Forum, which campaigns for greater diversity in senior roles, is still optimistic, however: “Getting more women in the boardroom is now a mainstream agenda. There has never been a better time for a woman with skills and experience — the opportunities are there.”

Top 10 influential women in business FEMALE leadership is an integral aspect of running and managing a global business. Powerful, successful and inspirational, these top 10 women have truly made their mark on the business world across the technology sectors. Recent figures released by the Cranfield School of Management confirmed that the percentage of female directors on FTSE 100 boards has grown from 12.5 per cent last year to 15.6 per cent. Courtesy of ceoworld.biz, below is a list of living proof that these women are breaking through the glass corporate ceiling.

1) Sheryl Sandberg – Facebook current chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg looks at why a smaller percentage of women than men reach the top of their professions. Prior to Facebook, Sheryl was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google, where she built and managed the online sales channels for advertising and publishing and operations for consumer products globally.

2) Karen Quintos- Karen Quintos is senior vice president and chief marketing officer (CMO) for Dell, where she is responsible for bringing the company’s brand to life for Dell customers, team members and stakeholders around the world. She leads brand strategy, global communications, social media, corporate responsibility, global research, marketing talent development and agency management.

Karen is also the executive sponsor of the largest networking group at Dell, Women in Search of Excellence (WISE).

3) Cher Wang- co-founder and the chairperson of the HTC Corporation, her husband is Wen Chi Chen, the CEO of VIA Technologies.

4) Marissa Mayer- Marissa Mayer helps run one of the world’s most innovative company Google as Vice President of Location and Local Services. She was the first female engineer hired at Google . Prior to joining Google, Mayer worked at the UBS research lab (Ubilab) in Zurich, Switzerland, and at SRI International in Menlo Park, California 5) Deborah Conrad- Deborah Conrad is the vice president of sales and marketing at Intel Corporation. Her responsibilities include brand management, product positioning, product launch management and market research 6) Susan Lyne, Gilt Groupe- She is the Chair of Gilt Group, Inc., an online fashion and luxury brand retailer, since September 2010. Previously, she was Gilt Group’s Chief Executive Officer. She’s also served as President, Chief Executive Officer and Director of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia.

7) Chloe Sladden, Twitter- Chloe Sladden is Director of Media Partnerships and creator of Twitter TV. She works closely with Twitter’s broadcast, news and entertainment partners to integrate Twitter into their on-air and online content, news reporting and audience experiences in innovative ways.

8) Elaine Wherry, Meebo – Elaine Wherry is co-founder and Vice President of Products for Meebo. Wherry leads the web, product management, and user experience teams, and designs the look and feel of all Meebo’s products 9) Meg Whitman- Ms. Whitman has served as HP’s President and Chief Executive Officer since September 2011. She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of HP since January 2011.

From March 2011 to September 2011, Ms. Whitman served as a part-time strategic advisor to Kleiner, Perkins, Caulfield & Byers, a private equity firm. Previously, Ms. Whitman served as President and Chief Executive Officer of eBay Inc., from 1998 to March 2008 10) Caterina Fake - Caterina Fake is currently the Chief Product Officer at the internet site, Hunch. You might remember her as the cofounder of Flickr along with Stewart Butterfield in 2004. After Flickr was acquired by Yahoo, Caterina ran their Technology Development Group and founded Yahoo’s Brickhouse.

Size, Length Are Critical in Casino Customer Service Training

By Martin R. Baird

Size and length do matter – when it comes to providing only the best in casino customer service training. But they are sometimes ignored when casinos organize training sessions.

Simple things such as the size of the group of people being trained and the length of the presentations are critical to creating a successful training experience for casino employees.

First, let’s look at size.

When I’m asked to do guest service training for a casino, someone with the management team always wants to know how many people can attend a daylong session. The part I like is the word “attend.” Lots of people may attend the session, but how many are participating?

For training to be successful, the attendees must participate and not just watch. When a training session has a group of 90 or more people, it’s difficult to get all of them to participate. The size of the group has a direct effect on the number of people who will become actively involved in the training.

With a group of 40 attendees, people have an opportunity to express their opinions and have their voices heard.

What about the size of the training room? The room can actually have an effect on how people participate in the training. If you have a group of 30 and your training is held in a showroom that seats 500, people feel lost and intimidated by the size of the room. Likewise, when you pack 50 people into a room that’s designed to hold 35, they can’t get comfortable and they actually find it difficult to participate.

For optimum training results, it’s important to match the size of the room and the number of participants to the activities you want them to do. In our training, we have people stand and move around and if the room is too small, it stifles that facet of the experience.

Now we move from size to length.

How long should the training session be? As long as it needs to be to get the information across without becoming repetitive. Any longer than that and the attendees will just sit there and zone out. Some people think training should be done in eight-hour increments to match the workday. But a workday and a training day are two very different animals. You should base the length of the training on what you want people to learn, not on what is simple for the payroll department.

I should point out that problems can arise from a session that’s too short. If you try to cover three hours of material in two hours, you’re wasting everyone’s time. It can take 45 minutes to an hour for a group to get warmed up and start taking part in the training. If that only leaves an hour to cover the material, you could end up accomplishing absolutely nothing.

The length of the training modules also must be taken into consideration.

I call them modules. Some people call them chapters or areas. No matter what you call them, these are organized sections of the training. And if modules are too long, they lose impact.

Again, some people will try to have one module for eight hours of training. This is very difficult for the participants. People who go through training need to see progress and that requires a beginning, middle and end.

Modules give participants a feeling of progress so they know that they are reaching the goal.

The length of the lecture also is important. There’s an old saying in the training profession that the mind can only absorb as much as the backside can endure. If a trainer stands at the front of the room and drones on and on, he will lose the participants very quickly. Studies show that people tolerate only eight to 10 minutes of lecture before they tune out and start thinking about other things.

If training isn’t broken up into small chunks and divided by activities and exercises, the attendees won’t participate. People need to have their mind and senses stimulated in a variety of ways and at a variety of times.

Are size and length really that important to a casino’s guest service training?

They are more than important, they are critical. They can have an amazing effect on the outcome of the training and how much information will be retained and used. And after all, if the lessons learned in training aren’t used in the real world of the casino, it was all just a waste of time, energy and money.

Martin R. Baird is chief executive officer of Robinson & Associates, Inc., a Boise, Idaho-based consulting firm to the global gaming industry that is dedicated to helping casinos improve their guest service so they can compete and generate future growth and profitability. Robinson & Associates is the world leader in casino guest experience measurement, management and improvement. For more information, visit the company’s Web sites at www.casinocustomerservice.com and www.advocatedevelopmentsystem. com or contact the company at 208-991-2037. Robinson & Associates is a member of the Casino Management Association and an associate member of the National Indian Gaming Association.

Social media was key this International Women’s Day

App in the driving seat

FROM Afghanistan to Zimbabwe women are heavily using Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn to focus global attention on areas where inequalities prevail.

8 March marks the 101st International Women’s Day with thousands of events occurring worldwide that celebrate women’s progress or rally against inequality.

World dignitaries including the President of the United States of America Barack Obama and UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon proclaim official statements supporting International Women’s Day and its focus. Celebrity supporters for the day include singer-songwriter and We are Equals activist Annie Lennox, Avon Foundation advocate Reese Witherspoon and OXFAM supporters Helena Christensen and Kristin Davis.

For decades women have banded together to challenge injustices, overcome barriers and pursue equality. International Women’s Day provides an opportunity to commemorate these efforts, celebrate progress and call for commitment to women’s rights, peace and equality. Social media and #womensday tweets provide a whole new way to interact, clearly a contrast to the days of pioneering suffragettes.

Glenda Stone, founder of the internationalwomensday.com website that has served as a global hub for International Women’s Day events, resources and news for over a decade says: “Activity on International Women’s Day has skyrocketed over the last five years. This is due to the rise of social media, celebrity involvement, and corporations taking on the day sponsoring and running big events. Our twitter.com/womensday community with around 10,000 followers is phenomenal for sharing videos, information and news as it happens. Offline large scale women’s rallies have become even larger through the use of social media. It would be hard to find any country that did not celebrate the day in some way.”

International Women’s Day, which saw its first event run in 1911, continues to provide a powerful opportunity to unite, network and mobilise worldwide for meaningful change. It provides an opportunity to make a stand against inequality, discrimination and marginalisation that only serves to weaken all of our societies.

COMPUTERISED cars could soon become a reality. Bill Ford junior revealed their plans and thoughts at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, stating that cars will be able to communicate with each other, as well as perform parking.

The concept is especially fitting for Ford’s all-new compact multiactivity vehicle, the new, sophisticated B-MAX, that heralds the European introduction of SYNC; a voice-activated in-car connectivity system that takes the integration of mobile devices, voice control and convenience to a new level with extensive device compatibility and voice command in UK English, EU French, EU Spanish, EU Portuguese, German, Italian, Turkish, Dutch and Russian.

“The all-new B-MAX is going to be a game-changer in the European compact family vehicle segment. No other vehicle in its class offers such an attractive combination of style, versatility and technology,” said Ford of Europe’s chairman and CEO, Stephen Odell. “We think it will be among the most technologically advanced small cars you can buy at any price.”

It’s hoped that the computerised cars could be on the roads as early as 2017. Looking further into the future, he thinks that he expects to see fully autonomous vehicles by 2025 and beyond.

“Cars are becoming mobile communications platforms. Right now, there are a billion computing devices in the form of individual vehicles out on our roads,” he said, according to the Daily Mail.

“They’re largely unconnected from one another and the network.

We’ll increasingly take advantage of the car as a rolling collection of sensors to reduce congestion and help prevent accidents.

“I’m confident that we will see many of these advances on the road in this midterm period (between 2017 and 2025) because the early versions are already being designed, and in most cases, tested.”

The Science of Sharing Information Online

By Judith Lewis

Social media is all about getting social. With low barriers to entry, it can seem tempting to simply make a big land grab, register for everything from Facebook to Pintrest and figure out what to do later. As several case studies have demonstrated, this can do more brand damage than good but the question as to what the right channels to engage in are, how and why has remained somewhat a subject of conjecture.

When examining the online landscape and evaluating the value of various communications channels, measures are often fluffy or poorly defined. The value of social media as a specific channel is either measured directly using tracking URLs or estimated based on other channels. This can lead to impressions of poor ROI or low LPV. What is less well understood is the behaviour of people online and the ability to predict, or at least estimate, what they will do and thus take advantage of that behaviour.

The Science of Sharing study examined behaviours of online surfers in both the US and the UK and revealed interesting differences between the two countries, including very different actions after researching. Interestingly, in both countries users fell into 7 distinct persona types and each type interacted online differently, to a large extent mirroring assumed behaviours.

These personae ranged from the altruist who shared to be helpful through to the provocateur who shared to be heard and the careerist who shared because it helped their profile. By segmenting the type of sharer this way, we begin to understand more about the influencers online and what their motivations are, as well as how large a community of people they represent. While people do not fall into a single category and move between them depending on time of life, segmenting and understanding the motivation of online sharers can be crucial in activating them.

Different types of behaviour were measured across different platforms involving different types of products. The subjects were tracked across multiple media sharing channels involved in activities related to either high involvement or low involvement products. While gaming as a vertical was not singled out in the study, verticals such as travel, personal finance, automotives, fashion and other verticals were clearly segmented and studied.

The data shows that 43% (versus 31% of US respondents) were prompted to purchase after online interaction. 40% of UK consumers (versus 53% of US respondents) have used Facebook to interact with a brand and 17% of people use Facebook to get information about a brand on a weekly basis.

30% of people have written a Facebook post about a product. 47% of people stated that they have written a product review on a site (versus 42% in the US), and 9% of people write product reviews on a regular basis (versus 8% in the US). The data also clearly identified search (SEO and PPC) as being one of the most, if not the most, often used online method on a users’ route to purchase.

With the growth of social media as a platform for consumer reviews and recommendations, consumers have an increasing amount of influence on the way a brand is perceived by others. People are no longer passive consumers of advertisements and marketing campaigns. Instead, they are now creating content that has the potential to influence others through nontraditional media sources such as review and social media sites as well as search engines. While this can create problems for some gaming brands as rules restrict activity, it does demonstrate how important it is to have a presence in these channels. Also important to note is that while in the minority, high sharers influence low sharers and with high sharers being brand loyal, they are a more valuable social individual to win over.

What this data demonstrates is the importance and influence of the few on the many. In much the same way as journalists did in the past, influencers in the social media age are picking a brand and shouting loudly and often enough to influence the silent majority. This takes several forms including within conversations happening on Twitter, Facebook and offline (in the study identified as “word of mouth�) and is often outside the control of the brand. By identifying High Sharers in the most effective digital location and engaging them with sharable content geared to their emotional needs, marketers can increase the dynamic of sharing, which acts as a positive amplifier leading towards a virtuous cycle of recommendation, loyalty and purchase.

If you would like to contact us to get more information about the research, please email judith.lewis@bynd.com

Interview with

Raj Vemulapalli VICE PRESIDENT of MOBILE ENGINEERING

INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE spoke to the latest edition of BETFAIR, Raj Vemulapalli, about how they are seamlessly striving to reinvent the mobile gaming industry. Find out why he thinks that, “Mobile is the coming force in the betting industry, and the shift from online to mobile is in many ways more exciting than the shift from offline to online.”

He also tells us about their American prospects and what made him jump from Yahoo! into the fast-paced gaming world.

Q: Thank you Raj for your time today it is truly appreciated, firstly everyone knows that you are the Vice President of Mobile Engineering within Betfair, where did you start out your career? What drew you towards the gaming industry and Betfair in particular?

A: Prior to joining Betfair, I was the Head of Engineering and one of the founding engineers of Yahoo! Real Time Communications groups, who created some of the most used products in the world including Yahoo! Messenger, Yahoo! Mobile Messaging, iPhone, iPad and Android Applications, Yahoo! Chat, Instant Messaging in Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! Voice and Video, Real Time Talk in Y! Sports and Y! Groups, Yahoo! Avatars and open APIs. I spent over 11 years at Yahoo! and led Yahoo! Messenger and Yahoo! Mobile Messaging to #1 position in US and to #2 in the world with a reach of 280+ million active users and $150+ million in annual revenues.

Prior to my role at Yahoo!, I held senior technical leadership roles at Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. I also currently serve as Board of Director, Technology and Strategy advisor to emerging and disruptive companies in USA. Betfair was a really exciting opportunity for me. It is a technology company that has invented the betting exchange a decade ago and is now reinventing mobile gaming; Driven by world-leading technology, Betfair’s platforms process more than 7 million transactions per day - more than all the European stock exchanges combined. I am excited to drive Betfair’s mobile strategy, products and platforms at a time when consumers are increasingly turning to mobile. Mobile is the coming force in the betting industry, and the shift from online to mobile is in many ways more exciting than the shift from offline to online.

Q: Can you tell us what exactly Betfair, as a well renowned company, specialises in within the gaming industry and how it aims to stand out from its competitors?

A: Betfair invented the concept of exchange betting, in which online gamblers place bets against one another. Betfair keeps ahead of the competition by focusing on building innovative products that continue to disrupt the industry. The area I work in, mobile products, is one example. Mobile development is critical for Betfair and is one of our top priorities. Analysis we’ve conducted tells us that customers become more valuable to us, once they start betting through their mobile phones and crucially, we know that a high quality range of mobile gaming products is what an increasing number of our customers want.

The importance we put on mobile is reflected in the significant investment we’ve made, and are continuing to make, in the channel through the launch of new applications across a range of mobile mediums (We were the first operator with a betting app in the App Store). Betfair saw over £800m worth of bets placed on its mobile products in the first 6 months of FY12.

Those figures are really encouraging and are spurring us on to keep on innovating in this space.

Q: How is Betfair and yourself driving forward mobile gaming? Tell us about the iPad app Betfair has just released.

A: Betfair’s goal is to enable users to bet anywhere, anytime. To achieve this vision, we have launched a whole suite of products on all major mobile platforms including downloadable apps for iPhone, iPad (using iOS SDK) and Android (built on Android SDK). Betfair’s apps are available in 14 App Stores - covering 12 languages. In addition, Betfair has HTML5 mobile web apps that will allow the user on any device to access the products.

The new Ipad is a game-changer for our customers, offering them a seamless betting experience that replicates the fixed web, whilst making use of the unique features available on iPad. The App offers a vastly improved iPad experience to Betfair customers, bringing fixed website functionality to a betting product that is specifically tailored to the tablet device. Its key features include: Intuitive landing page, with easy access to the most popular • events along with live scores.

• Trader focused betting experience, with betting functionality mirroring that available on the fixed website.

• Seamless access to Betfair’s betting.betfair site, which includes insight and analysis from Betfair’s content team and ambassadors.

• Ability to deposit and withdraw funds from anywhere within the App- enabling easier betting.

Q: As the Vice President of mobile engineering within Betfair, have there been any substantial developments within the company so far to move online/mobile gaming forward and change the game?

A: The objective of the mobile development teams is to provide a compelling experience to our users on mobile devices and we sought the best talent to build great products. The bespoke native iPad application that we just launched is a marked enhancement from previous products and is the first to come out of Betfair’s development office in Silicon Valley. We will be innovating on mobile platforms through Social Integration and push platforms.

What’s really exciting about our mobile proposition is that we have thirdparty developers building mobile products for Betfair customers using the company’s open platform API – this makes us unique in the industry. We want our customers to have the best mobile betting experience and with that in mind we recently launched a brand new revenue-share deal for third-party mobile developers. We did this to encourage innovation in the mobile space and to provide incredibly rich experiences to our customers.

Q: Why do you think more people are being drawn towards online and in particular, mobile gaming? How is Betfair working towards creating a safe and attractive environment for online/mobile gaming? (Taking into account the negative perceptions surrounding gaming at times.)

A: Betting offers an enjoyable leisure activity when it is enjoyed safely and responsibly. Betfair employs a market leading responsibility team, who use a number of sophisticated tools to educate customers and ensure that they are betting responsibly within their limits.

Q: It’s been reported that Betfair has been a growth in activity on the website, as well as a revenue growth, what has contributed to this success?

A: Our technology investment programme is starting to deliver a number of valuable improvements for our customers. Our new site will bring faster page downloads, increased reliability and improved search functionality. In addition, this will reduce the on-going maintenance cost of the technology platform and allow a greater focus on product development, while also providing increased flexibility to meet new jurisdictional requirements as they arise Q: Would the firm ever consider entering the US market? If so, has Betfair made any steps towards this vision?

A: Betfair maintains a presence in the US and we have been encouraged by developments in California and New Jersey, the former passed a law last year which will regulate Exchange betting from May. Betfair currently has a technology development office in San Francisco (where I work), which is working towards building a US focused betting exchange. In addition we operate a regulated betting company in the US, TVG, which operates from Los Angeles.

Q: Where do you see Betfair in 5 years time and what are your hopes with

regards to enhancing the company in terms of mobile gaming?

A: Mobile gaming and betting has continued to grow strongly in the first half, with double the number of mobile bets placed compared to the same period last year. We are continuing to focus our investment in the product and will shortly be introducing mobile gaming as well as further updates to our existing mobile sports betting applications, leaving us well placed to deliver further growth from this important channel. In 5 years, we expect Mobile to be a significant contributor to our overall revenues.

Q: Moving on to more enjoyable topics, what has been the most enjoyable time at Betfair so far?

A: Without a shadow of a doubt, it was seeing the positive reaction to the first product developed in the San Francisco office, Betfair’s new bespoke iPad app.

Q: Lastly, what do you do in your spare time, when you are not contributing to the success of Betfair?

A: We are blessed with 4 year old twins - a boy and a girl. It is great fun playing with them and watching them learn.

Interview with

Professor I. Nelson Rose INFINITY GAMING MAGAZINE spoke to the prestigious Professor I. Nelson Rose about how he predicted the Third Wave of Legal Gambling and his insight into 2012’s online obstacles. He also tells us about why he thinks “landbased operators are paying top dollar to buy Internet gaming expertise.” The future? Professor I. Nelson Rose concludes: “There are going to be a lot of consolidations and partnerships, and new players entering the field. But there also will be regional differences.”

Q: Thank you Professor I. Nelson Rose for your time today it is truly appreciated, firstly everyone knows that you are the respected world’s leading expert on legal gambling, can you firstly tell us what areas of gambling are you most involved in and also is your expertise related to the USA or Globally?

think the lack of uniformity is important. After all, today every state makes its own rules, and the gaming industry has done fine without a uniform federal law.

A: Thank you for inviting me. I started seriously looking at gaming law as a student at Harvard Law School. This was in 1979. At the time, only Nevada and New Jersey had legal casinos in the U.S. But by looking at the dates of prior periods of legalization and prohibition, I realized that we were entering what I called the Third Wave of Legal Gambling. I predicted that gaming would spread across the nation, starting with state lotteries, and then expanding to all other forms, including casinos. Since then, I have tried to keep on top of developments, and look at areas where I expect there to be major growth. So, in the 1980s I got involved with Indian gaming, in the 1990s the Internet, and right after the Millennium, Asia and other international jurisdictions. Right now most of my work is with Internet and other remote wagering, cross-border issues involving countries in Europe and the proliferation of casinos in Asia.

Q: Should online gambling go to states first, how can it ever then go federal, without a legal maze of each states legislation being in the way?

Q: Who have your clients included in the past and how have you helped them? (If you cannot name them individually, can you highlight if they are land based or online) A: I often act as a consultant for governments and industry. My clients include the founders of the largest Internet gambling sites; international corporations; major investors; players; entrepreneurs; Indian tribes; the federal governments of the U.S., Canada and Mexico; and many other nations, states and provinces.

Q: Do you think the USA will clear the way for online gambling soon and in your opinion will it be State or Federal?

A: It has already happened, and it will be state by state. In December 2000 Congress amended the Interstate Horseracing Act to expressly allow states to decide for themselves if they wanted to allow residents to bet by phone and computer. More than half the states have opted in. At least six states are selling state lottery tickets online. Nevada has legalized Internet poker, and I expect at least three more states will follow this year. There is no chance for a federal law; since the Republicans took over the House of Representatives in January 2011 there has not been a single new substantive law passed by Congress.

Q: If state by state at first, is that a better scenario for the gambling industry?

A: It is good news for local operators, but not for large casino or Internet operators. There is now so much legal gambling in the U.S. that legalizing one more form, say Internet poker, is no big deal politically. But there is so much legal gambling that everywhere there are powerful local operators, who will insist on getting some or all of the licenses. This means that a Caesars Entertainment or Bwin/Party Gaming has to compete in potentially more than 50 states, including the District of Columbia, against more than 50 politically connected insiders for a limited number of licenses. I don’t

A: It is not just legal gambling that has always been decided at the state level. When Prohibition was repealed, the U.S. Constitution was amended to expressly give sole power over alcoholic beverages to the states. Even tribes have to ask states for liquor licenses. Yet, like gaming, the liquor industry has thrived with 50 different sets of laws. It will be more and more difficult for Congress to try and impose a uniform system, once states start legalizing Internet poker, lotteries and casinos. But, Congress never was going to impose the same public policies on all states. There has to be the right to opt in or opt out; Congress cannot tell Utah and Nevada that they have to have the same gambling laws.

Q: Is the statement of states desperate for tax revenues a good argument for legalizing online gambling and in your opinion what kind of revenues could a state expect realistically from Taxing online gambling?

A: Gambling is seen as a painless tax and always expands during times of economic downturn. There are only a handful of states that don’t need more revenue to balance their budgets, and they cannot raise taxes or cut services any more than they have already done. Taxing online gambling will not solve the problem by any means. California, for example, will raise about $250 million from legalizing online poker. But it needs more than $10 billion a year. Still, that is $250 million that it does not now have. On the federal level the amounts that can be raised are so small relative to the deficit that the argument carries no weight.

Q: Can you elaborate on the paper you presented in January to the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States? What did you want to get across and highlight?

A: There have been some major recent developments. Black Friday shows that the Department of Justice is still waging a war of intimidation against Internet gambling. But in December it announced that it was giving up its major weapon, the federal Wire Act, which will now be used only against illegal sports betting. The announcement also has the effect of allowing states to legalize every form of Internet gambling, except sports betting.

And every state is looking at expanding legal gaming online, while nothing can get through both houses of Congress. In 1962 there were no legal state lotteries in the U.S. It took 50 years, but now all but a half-dozen states have state lotteries. Technological and social change today are much faster. The Internet is like “dog years.” It will not take a half century before Internet poker and casinos are almost everywhere.

Q: If states were to pass online poker, what would the process entail in running the operation? Would there be any stark challenges?

A: The states are legalizing solely to raise money, not to protect local operators. But local operators have the political power to demand some or all of the licenses. So, state lotteries will probably not be operating online poker, even though the state might make more money that way. States will probably try to sell a limited number of licenses and charge large fees and high percentage taxes to online operators. There will always be a tremendous bias in favour of local operators. But there will be room for outside operators, who have enough money, to either directly bid for a license or partner with a local casino, racetrack or cardclub. The major obstacles to legalization are political, deciding who will get the licenses. There are also going to be problems with licensing and taxation once state-licensed online gaming begins crossing state lines.

Q: It’s been revealed that the DOJ has cleared online betting according to each individual state, however, betting across states is illegal. What are your views on this, could this hinder the industry?

A: There are only three sets of federal laws that can apply to gambling that is legal under state law: The Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act prevents a state from legalizing sports betting (although that is being challenged in court by New Jersey); the Wire Act, which is limited to sports betting; and federal anti-lottery laws, which have an express exemption for state lotteries. There is a little-known provision of the U.S. Constitution that prevents states from making compacts or agreements with other states and nations. But the spread of multi-state lotteries shows that law is easy to get around. So, except for sports betting, there is little to stop states from legalizing Internet poker and other games on an intra-state basis, and then expanding to take bets from other states and nations.

Q: Do you think the landbased and online gaming industries combined can become a bigger and better entity in 2012?

A: It has already started. Landbased operators are paying top dollar to buy Internet gaming expertise. And they are forming joint ventures with experienced online operators. The next stage will be more consolidation like this, plus the entry of large, new players, like Zynga and Google, into the Internet gambling field.

Q: How would you say you have helped negative perception issues within the gaming industry during 2006?

A: 2006? I try to be as objective and accurate as possible in my writing, and also explain complicated legal issues in a way that everyone can understand. Our perceptions are often formed from mass media and history. So, simply by describing what is going on now with licensed legitimate operators helps defeat deeply buried impressions that all gambling is run by the mob.

Q: Why does the US Government believe prohibition works as it clearly never has in any other time?

A: Actually, the federal Department of Justice is running a pretty effective war of intimidation against Internet gambling. They have succeeded in scaring players, operators and payment processors out of the U.S. mar-

ket. They have been forced to do this, because they are usually missing the two essentials for any criminal prosecution: a statute making the activity illegal and a defendant found in the U.S. But, they are forgetting the other major problem with prohibition: not only is prohibition not regulation, but it only drives legitimate suppliers away, leaving less desirable characters to meet the public’s demand for the now forbidden item.

Q: What would it mean to the online gambling industry, if a Republican President won the elections later this year?

A: It would probably be a shortterm disaster. A Republican President would mean a Republican Congress.

Many fiscal conservatives are in favour of legal gambling, because they see it as a way for government to raise revenue without raising taxes. But social conservatives believe in big government getting involved in all parts of people’s lives. The Tea Party wants government in the wedding chapel, bedroom and doctor’s office, particularly if you are a woman. They certainly do not want to allow gambling to enter the home through the Internet.

Q: Finally Professor, how do you see the online and land based gaming landscape developing not just in 2012, but over the next 4 years? What is in store for the gambling industry and who will be the winners and losers?

A: There are going to be a lot of consolidations and partnerships, and new players entering the field. But there also will be regional differences. I don’t see how Atlantic City can ever completely recover, now that it is almost completely surrounded by casino states, with more on the way. But tribal casinos in Oklahoma are doing great, and will continue to do so, as long as the economy there and in Texas continues to recover. Internet gambling will bring some changes. Indian tribes with small casinos far from population centres may suffer. Big operators like Caesars will be able to grow and use the Internet and landbased casinos to create synergy. Almost all forms of gambling, except horsetracks, will continue to proliferate. Japan is now the only major industrialized nation without casinos. I don’t think we will see any more multibillion-dollar integrated resorts in America, but we will in places like Japan, Korea and Spain, and probably Miami. The great unknown is technology.

Video poker is the most popular form of gaming device. But could anyone predict that people would want to play video poker before it was invented?

41 megapixel comeback

Google is watching you…

FORTY-ONE megapixels! Nokia has unveiled their latest Smartphone, which could revolutionise taking snaps on the go. Mobile World Congress in Barcelona kicked off with an overload of swanky smartphones, but all eyes were on the Nokia 808; it’s been dubbed the highest resolution camera phone, ever. It’s not a slim phone like all the others, but cut it some slack!

SEARCH engine giant Google is digging a little deeper in your online lives with its new privacy policy. The company states that this will allow them to provide a more streamlined service to those searching the net. However, not everyone is so welcoming of these new changes.

Aesthetically, the 808 is a block of white plastic which looks and feels like a chunky monster of a device. The spec consists of: an HDMI port on top, a dedicated camera button, and of course that camera on the back: a relatively large lens with a big Xenon flash above it. The phone has a 4-inch, 640-by-360 touch screen–that’s a standard Symbian resolution–as well as a 1.3GHz processor and 16GB of memory, plus a memory card slot.

Critics, including most of the country’s state attorneys general and a top regulator in Europe, argue that Google is trampling on people’s privacy rights in its relentless drive to sell more ads. Its also been reported that its privacy policy is in breach of Europeam law, according to the EU’s justice commissioner.

In short, information gathered about us can now be shared with its other platforms, like YouTube and Blogger.

Nokia CEO Stephen Elop said the 808 can “capture seven pixels and turn it into one perfect pixel,” pretty much eliminating noise from images. “You can take great images in low light, too,” Elop said.

Chief executive Stephen Elop told reporters at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, that he feels confident with their unveiling: “With great products for consumers, I think the rest will fall into place,” Elop said.

Many Smartphone lovers have been left in awe and believe that Nokia really are making a comeback.

Beam me up SAMSUNG has unveiled an innovative handset that is set to leave the rest of the handsets in the shadows. The Samsung Galaxy Beam handset is complete with Android capabilities and its showstopper feature, an inbuilt ultra-bright 15 lumens projector.

The beaming handset was unveiled at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress, the biggest event for the telecoms industry to flaunt their latest releases.

Although a swanky press launch wasn’t scheduled, the handset has already got the industry in a buzz.

“Galaxy Beam provides mobile freedom, enabling a unique shared experience around digital content for everyone-anywhere and instantly-from a smartphone as slim and portable as any on the market,” said JK Shin, President of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics to the press.

The projector aims to help people share more images, video and digital content in a seamless manner, without adding extra bulk to the handset. Bonus! For users that want to project their own content there is a 5-megapixel camera that can shoot movies at 720p, according to Samsung.

According to computerworld.com: “But the resolution on the screen has been increased to 1280-by-800 pixels on the 10-inch model. Also the weight has increased from 345 grams to 588 grams, but that is the price you pay for the bigger screen. The original Galaxy Tab 10.1 weighed 565 grams. The battery has grown from 4,000 mAh to 7,000 mAh, as well.”

A price tag hasn’t been attached to the Samsung yet, neither has a release date. Rumours are a circulating about a possible UK release in the next few months.

In its official blog, it states: “And because we’re making these changes, over time we’ll be able to improve our products in ways that help our users get the most from the web.

We’ve included the key parts from more than 60 product-specific notices into our main Google Privacy Policy—so there’s no longer any need to be your own mini search engine if you want to work out what’s going on. If you’re signed in to Google, you expect our products to work really beautifully together. For example, if you’re working on Google Docs and you want to share it with someone on Gmail, you want their email right there ready to use.”

However, campaign group Big Brother Watch has argued that not enough has been done to ensure people are fully aware of the alterations. The group’s director Nick Pickles said: “Google is putting advertisers’ interests before user privacy and should not be rushing ahead before the public understand what the changes will mean.”

Introducing the iPhone 5?

AS we sit and wait patiently for the iPhone 5, Italian designer Federico Ciccarese has treated us to a concept design of what the anticipated handset may look like.

He depicts a curvaceous, clean and heavenly design. The headphone jack has moved to the side to accommodate the new design and the back seems to be blasted aluminum, similar to what is used on the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air and iMac. Rumours are still circulating about a possible June release.

Windows Phones to eat up Apple?

WINDOWS could race ahead of the respected leaders iO5 and Android by 2015, predicts analysts iSuppli. It claims that Microsoft’s Windows Phone will lead the renaissance smartphone period when people may make the switch.

Last year, Windows Phone accounted for just two per cent of the smartphone market. By 2015, that figure will be 16.7 per cent, says iSuppli.

“One of the hottest new products unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show was the Lumia 900, a Windows Phone-based smartphone sporting a flashy set of features that makes it competitive with the best alternatives offered by the Android camp,” said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS. “This hot product represents Nokia’s first step to reclaim its market share.

Combined with Nokia’s efforts to drive the development of the Windows Phone ecosystem, the Lumia 900 and its successors will help Microsoft to reclaim its No. 2 ranking in smartphone operating system market share in 2015.”

The Lumia 900’s flashy feature set, along with Nokia’s strategy for selling the product, shows that the company is targeting the North American region, a market that, even in the height of Nokia’s dominance, historically had been an Achilles’ heel for the company.

“The introduction of the Lumia 900 shows that Nokia believes the road back to smartphone dominance runs through North America,” said Francis Sideco, senior principal analyst for consumer and communications at IHS. “And the way to win North America is through its operator channels.”

Exclusive – Full Tilt Poker SOFTWARE Ladbrokes pocket huge bonus Infinity Gaming Magazine has received reliable information that there is another player in the Full Tilt Poker (FTP) saga, who is looking at purchasing the FTP Software ONLY should the Groupe Bernard Tapie (GBT) deal fall through, which seems more likely by the day.

Since the fallout from the now infamous Black Friday event in 2011, which exposed the financial mess that was the FTP accounts, showing that many of the Directors and top players of FTP had been given bonuses, loans and dividends from players’ deposits.

The much publicised, only interested party was the Groupe Bernard Tapie Company, however it has now been disclosed that there may now be another.

From three separate reliable sources involved in this new revelation, we have been informed that a UK private equity firm is waiting in the wings to purchase the FTP software should the GBT fail. It is understood that this new investor is not interested in re-opening the Full Tilt site, but wants to purchase the software owned by the company.

The deal would centre around offering in the region of $30 to $35 million for the software alone, while the FTP name, brand and all associated with it would be then wound up. The funds for the software would be deposited in a neutral account for Administrators of the company to distibute to creditors of FTP. In the online poker world the Full Tilt Poker software is considered to be far superior, any company using the software and promoting it as that used by FTP would certainly attract many of the previous players of the poker site, so long as the owners were trusted, legitimate and could show the funds to run a major online poker operation.

The once great poker site was turning in a profit of $1 million a day.

Full Tilt Poker Software which includes the hugely successful “Rush Poker,” was designed to increase the number of hands a player can play per hour.

In “Rush Poker” players do not remain at a specific table. Instead, they join a pool with hundreds of other players. Whenever they fold their hand, they are instantly transferred to a new table and dealt a new hand.

This software is highly regarded and a sure winner for any current or new online poker operator, to this the equity firm now circling is interested in acquiring the software for another operator, where they will sell on to them.

The plan would mean that the once great site would totally disappear and what would be left would be the software only along with the player database, this also would be of interest, but the legality of acquiring this element, we are told, makes it unviable at present.

Our information points us to the conclusion that should the GBT deal falter; the only major asset of Full Tilt Poker will be bought and used most certainly by an existing operator.

There has been much speculation that bwin.party were in the frame for FTP in the very early times of the site closing down. An acquisition of the software by the PLC Company to improve its own offerings, ahead of the US opening up to online gambling again, could be a very real possibility.

However, this is not confirmed that bwin.party are the other company, there are many out there that would like to get their hands on the FTP Software, such as 888Poker. One thing is for sure, as the uncertainty of GBT concluding a deal, there does seem to be others interested.

The only question for players in the US and the rest of the world is, how much of their money will they ever see again?

LADBROKES boss Richard Glynn reportedly pocketed a £491,000 bonus last year despite profits falls and failing to hook up with an online gambling company, according to The Telegraph.

The figures were released in Ladbrokes’ annual report. The Telegraph reported: “No awards were made to any existing directors under the company’s performance share plan, where Mr Glynn could have received shares worth 175pc of his salary, after Ladbrokes missed targets for total shareholder return and earnings per share.”

It’s also been reported that Glynn’s total pay is £200,000 higher than previous years and earns less than former finance director Brian Wallace. The Telegraph added: “He quit on February 17 and left at the end of August – but his pay still rose from £1.23m to £1.35m. That was thanks to him negotiating a controversial £350,000 retention bonus after the departure of Mr Glynn’s predecessor, Chris Bell.”

Macau money laundering?

THERE has been speculation in the Asian press that unnamed suites in top hotels had been allegedly “decked out to look like genuine gambling halls with security staff, dealers and other customers.” The report, in the South China Morning Post alleges that punters drinks were spiked and bogus chips were handed out.

The hotel in question hasn’t been named and is again, only speculated within the report. The Asia Sentinel blogged: “The story, which the paper has not followed up, clearly suggested that the company, despite its legions of security staff and cameras, either had no control over what was going on there, or had knowingly subcontracted rooms to a mainland group which was given carte blanche to make its own arrangements within the hotel as well as freedom to bring in clients from the mainland. Although these side rooms, often operated by triads, have been a fixture of Macau’s gaming scene for decades, they had been thought to have been prohibited by the multinational gaming companies.”

According to the report, the gang that organized the heist had crossed the border at least 19 times in the previous two years before 16 people were arrested in a raid on a luxury hotel and charged with fraud and drug trafficking.

The report goes into speculating which hotel this could be, the Asia Sentinel THINKS it could be: “the Venetian Macau, the largest hotel/casino complex in Macau, which is owned by Las Vegas Sands, the US-based empire of gambling magnate Sheldon Adelson.”

Bigger fish to fry SO whilst online gambling is facing a crackdown in America, it seems to be thriving in Canada. Most have been asking why Canada hasn’t done the same as its neighbours.

It has been estimated that Canadians have forked out $4 billion annually to offshore sites, despite Criminal Codes stating that provinces may legally run lotteries or betting games on the Internet.

“For police authorities, it’s not their top priority,” said Stanley Sadinsky, a law professor emeritus at Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ont. That said, the authorities have been reluctant to pursue charges against the customers and operators. “There hasn’t been a huge public outcry,” said Paul Burns, vice-president of the Canadian Gaming Association. “There’s a high level of acceptance of offshore operators in Canada.”

The problem is the lack of clarity in Canadian laws. In Canada, only provincial governments are permitted to operate online gambling sites. Yet, there are an estimated 2,000 offshore gambling sites accessible in this country and Canadians are pouring huge amounts of money into them.

Sadinsky added that authorities have “much bigger fish to fry.”

He also believes that others provinces will not up their ante is pushing legislation down operators throats. “When economic interests begin to come into play, maybe that will be the greater incentive to deal with the offshore sites,” he said. “Dollars may drive the decision in the end.”

Changing their mind?

PORTUGAL could be making a u-turn over online gambling, according to various reports. Initially, online gambling was seen as a threat and was ruled out but now looks like they’re opening their eyes to the possibility of regulating to possibly finance imminent pension needs.

At the time it was estimated that such a strategy could raise an extra Euro 250 million for government coffers. The tourism minister, Cecilia Meireles has been saying the government is now rethinking the benefits of revenue derived from the activity.

Earlier this year, the Portugal Daily Review reported that a source in the Ministry of the Economy had confirmed that the concept was being progressed, although little detail was available. The figure of Euro 250 million, collected from “gambling concessions” was still the financial target at that point.

It’s also been reported that the government has decided that it is a “reasonable goal” to start collecting gambling fees. Quoted in a local newspaper Publico, she has said that local legislators have, “unanimously approved” policies to regulate the gambling sector. She had also added that the course of action regarding this latest move requires “some secrecy” which tells those interested in the news that there are some hurdles to overcome yet. Bwin had previously lost its cause to sponsor the Portuguese Football League.

Founder Edward Wray steps down from the Board BETFAIR GROUP PLC announces that Gerald Corbett, Deputy Chairman of Betfair, will become Chairman from today. As announced on 7 December 2011, Edward Wray, the co-founder of Betfair, will step down as Chairman. He will also leave the Board of Betfair but will retain his place on the Board of LMAX. At the time of its IPO, Betfair committed to comply with the Combined Code on Corporate Governance and, as a result of today’s announcement, the Board is now fully compliant.

Edward Wray said: “When Andrew and I launched the betting Exchange in 2000 it was immediately apparent that it provided a better way of betting for punters everywhere. That remains the case today and, as a result, Betfair has permanently changed an industry for the better. “I am extremely proud of everything that the company has achieved in the last 12 years and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been involved in the business for their contribution to its success.

“This is the start of another exciting chapter for Betfair and I am delighted to be handing over to Gerald whose considerable experience will prove invaluable to the company. I leave Betfair in excellent hands and I know that the company has an extremely exciting future. As Betfair’s largest shareholder I look forward to its continued success.”

Stephen Morana, Interim CEO of Betfair, said: “On behalf of everyone at Betfair, I would like to thank Ed for the pivotal role he has played in Betfair’s success. He was integral in taking Betfair from an initial concept through to the global operator it is today and in making the business one of the UK’s most successful Internet companies. “I have personally greatly valued and enjoyed working with him over the past 10 years.”

Gala’s £42.1m Gala Coral recently announced a turnover increase by 4% to £42.1m, during the 16 weeks to January 14. Sources from Rank have also told us that talks between Gala and Rank are still on-going. So we will keep u posted as and when we hear any updates. Rank has been in talks with Gala since January. The deal could be worth around £250m.

Carl Leaver, Chief Executive of Gala Group commented: “We are pleased with the progress in trading since our last update, with continued positive momentum across all of our businesses, helped by a much milder winter.

We are particularlypleased with the strong growth in OTC staking levels in Coral and the excellent growth shown by the Bingo business year to date.

The recent weeks have been more challenging, however, due to the adverse weather, and we continue to be cautious about the impact of the economic outlook on our businesses. Accordingly, whilst these first quarter results put us on track to meet our growth targets across all of our businesses in 2012, we have put robust profit protection plans in place.”

Total gross profit stood at £35.9m, compared with £33.6m in the corresponding period in 2011. Gaming delivered gross profit growth of six per cent, with gross profit from machines increasing eight per cent. The latter was attributed to the renegotiation of contracts and improved customer service.

The company said that it planned to roll out 500 new Sabre electronic roulette terminals from Inspired Gaming during the second quarter of the year, which are expected to support gaming growth over the course of the year.

Macau slowing down?

Online gaming fastest growing sector

MACAU, the world’s largest gambling destination jumped 34.8% in January to 25 billion patacas ($3.13 billion); the rise was boosted by a record flow of Chinese visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday. However, this could be shorlived. Despite the strong start to 2012, analysts warn Macau’s growth could slow this year, pricing in a slowdown in growth from 42 percent in 2011 to 11-20 percent in 2012, Reuters says. Wells Fargo analyst Cameron McKnight goes as far as to forecast 11 percent gambling revenue growth this year compared with last year’s impressive 42 percent upswing.

NEW technologies are set to fuel the growth of the global gaming industry, say Gamingclub.com. The online casino and online slots site reports that online gaming is now one of the fastest growing sectors of the gambling industry, accounting for approximately $30 billion of the estimated $1 trillion value of the global gambling market as a whole.

The tiny island remains the largest gambling center in the world. Last year Macau generated more than five times the gambling revenue analysts estimate the Las Vegas Strip earned.

The online sector has seen rapid growth in recent years, rising 42.5% since 2008, according to figures issued by H2 Gambling Capital, a leading supplier of data and market intelligence on the global gambling industry.

Although the success may be down to the VIP’s, Macau’s government is looking to reach out to others outside of this luxurious sphere. The government wants to reduce its reliance on high roller VIP players, who accrue more than 80 percent of gaming revenues yet make up a fraction of the millions of people flocking to the region’s casinos.

While the global gaming market as a whole is growing, with figures estimating a 15% rise between 2009 and 2012, the online gaming sector is projected to see far higher growth, at a rate of 38% within the same period.

A recent article from The Wall Street Journal explains that the VIP market is driven by “junket operators” -- which bring high-spending gamblers to the casinos, issue them credit and collect debts in exchange for commissions.

“Since gambling debt isn’t recognized in China, there are no legal means for casinos to recover debts owed to them by Chinese players,” The Wall Street Journal argues.

NYC casino voters torn VOTERS in New York City are torn between the middle in whether it should be embraced. According to research by the Siena Institute poll, it shows that people are split on legalizing non-Indian reservation casinos. Neither side have received a 50% support backing.

“A constitutional amendment to legalize non-Indian casinos in New York divides voters virtually down the middle. However, this is not an issue that divides voters by region, party or ideology. In fact, voters of every region, party and ideology are nearly evenly divided,” Siena pollster Steve Greenberg said in a statement. “Gender and age are more predictive of voters‟ positions, with men more supportive than women and young voters more supportive than older voters.

A campaign has already begun to gain support for this proposal by the New York Gaming Association and the owners of the state’s nine racinos, who want to expand to live table gaming. They have released reports touting the economic benefit these expansions would mean to the state and the local communities.

Interesting to note is the fact the portion of “Don’t Know/No Opinion” New Yorkers on this question has shrunk every month, which indicates the two sides on this issue are beginning to cement themselves. Granted, this trend has consisted of a two percentage point drop overall, from 5 percent to 3 percent of people polled not supporting or opposing the idea.

As well as fuelling growth within the online sector, advances in technology are set to drive growth within the mobile gaming sector too. Online casino games and online slots have become increasingly available on portable devices such as tablets and mobile phones in recent years, and the trend for mobile online casino apps looks set to grow. Juniper Research reports that mobile gaming wagering will exceed $48 billion by 2015. The report goes on to state that: “The market for these services is potentially vast... It is now up to the service providers to seize the opportunity.”

Although online gaming remains illegal in many forms in much of Asia, as well as in the US, government attitudes towards online gambling have become increasingly more relaxed. Online gaming has taken off in Europe, with France, Germany and Italy all relaxing restrictions on online casino gaming recently. After their announcement in 2011 that certain forms of online wagering would now be legalised in certain states, there is also much potential for growth in the US. The future looks bright for the global gaming industry. With the increasing availability of broadband access, 3G and even 4G technology, coupled with the growth in mobile gaming platforms, this is an exciting time for the online and mobile sectors and the industry as a whole.

Trump’s Casino?

DONALD Trump looks set to add the Doral Golf Resort and Spa to his name.

The $150 million plan could also pave the way for a casino, if a license is thrown in that direction. Speculation is gaining momentum around whether the Florida legislature will revist this bill, making his vision a reality.

Trump said in a statement, as reported in the Huffington Post, that he will not only pay $150 million for the 692-room hotel and four of its golf courses, he’ll spend another $150 million to renovate.

“When Doral first opened, it was considered the best resort in the world.

The combination of the property’s incredible location in the heart of Miami and our very significant investment in upgrading the resort will enable us to return Doral to its former glory if not surpass it. When completed, Doral will be the finest resort and golf club in the country.”

Trump’s purchase will act as a swoop towards saving the 50-year-old Doral from bankruptcy; it also adds a little extra buzz to next week’s PGA Cadillac World Golf Championship, taking place on its infamous TPC Blue Monster course.

Vietnam to legalise “I don’t like a gun being sports gambling soon? put to my head.”

VIETNAM is the latest Asian nation to consider loosening its attitude to gambling, with the Finance Ministry saying Monday that it plans to legalize sports betting.

The move, inspired in part by Singapore’s success in reinventing itself as a casino hub in recent years, follows discussions about easing restrictions on gambling in other major markets such as Japan, and underscores the speed with which the gambling world’s center of gravity has shifted toward Asia.

OPPOSITION from the state’s horse racing industry looks like it could stand in the way of the online gambling bill. However, despite the obstacles, it is still very much in the race to become the first state to be up and running with online poker.

One of the bill’s sponsors, Senator Jim Whelan, who represents Atlantic City, was angered by tactics employed by horse racing lobbyists, who are hindering Whelan’s desire to win the race as the first state to provide online poker to its residents.

Hanoi’s finance ministry said in a statement that legalizing and regulating betting on soccer matches and sports events would help limit the social damage caused by underground gambling syndicates. While Vietnam has only a handful of casinos—which only foreign passport holders can enter—informal gambling on the results of European soccer matches is widespread. Many Vietnamese also regularly cross the border to Cambodia to gamble at casinos there, a practice that Vietnam’s Communist leaders have long viewed with suspicion.

The recent success of the gambling industry in Singapore, though, appears to be changing perceptions. Las Vegas Sands Corp.’s Marina Bay Sands and Genting Group’s Resorts World Sentosa opened there in 2010 after the government bid out licenses to operate in the wealthy citystate, following years of hesitation about the possible social impact of casinos. Since then, the casinos have been a large financial success, drawing large numbers of tourists, without triggering widespread crime or other problems.

Vietnam could be one of several new gambling hubs thanks to its large population of around 90 million people and its growing appeal among foreign tourists. Las Vegas Sands Corp. chief executive Sheldon Adelson has said he is trying to encourage Vietnamese authorities to allow the company to build integrated casino and convention resorts in the country.

The pressure is on

JAPAN could soon be joining the glitzy gambling industry, as politicians are considering opening the country to casinos for the first time. The reports emerged in the Wall Street Journal and symbolises the potential the industry has. A bill is being planned to be submitted before the end of the current parliamentary session.

Lawmakers have been pondering over legalising casinos for 10 years. Could the bright lights of casinos finally be swaying them?

“I feel like I’m being blackmailed,” Whelan said.

“I‘m open to discussion but I don’t like a gun being put to my head and being told, ‘You will do this or else we will blow this whole thing up.”

In an interview with PokerNews, State Sen. Raymond Lesniak said that legislation for online poker should be approved by March 15. He thinks the governor will sign the bill this time around, which could see online poker being played in the Garden State by Sept 1.

“The race is on,” Lesniak said. “There’s certainly room for two major states to regulate the industry and combine with other states. If we get there first or they get there first, we’ll both be operating. We expect New Jersey to be the Silicon Valley of Internet gaming in the country.”

While the previous legislation would have only allowed for Internet gambling within state borders, another result of the DOJ opinion is that Lesniak now expects New Jersey to form compacts with other states to create a larger pool of players.

“Only a handful of states can have a regulatory scheme and possess the experience in operating these types of games — obviously Nevada and New Jersey, and likely California,” Lesniak said.

“It would be a lot easier for most other states to have a compact with us and do a profit-sharing agreement. Market share is very important in this business, and that’s why it’s important to be there first.”

Casino gambling would “help promote tourism, encourage business, create jobs, and boost local development,” Takeshi Iwaya, a lawmaker from the biggest opposition party, the Liberal Democratic Party, said in an interview. “Neighboring areas are contemplating similar plans, so if we don’t hurry, we may risk missing out on a big opportunity.”

Takeshi Iwaya, a politician representing the Liberal Democratic Party, told the Journal: “Neighbouring areas are contemplating similar plans, so if we don’t hurry, we may risk missing out on a big opportunity.”

While gambling is currently technically illegal in Japan, the government does allow betting on bicycle, motorboat, motorcycle and horse racing. And pachinko, a popular vertical pinball-like game, is similar to the slot machines lining the casino palaces of Vegas. Mr. Okada earned his fortune as a pachinko manufacturer.

The introduction of casinos could help the country out of its economic slump, the WSJ reports: “The gambling debate comes at a critical time for Japan. The earthquake, tsunami and nuclear accident last March exacerbated the country’s decade-long slump, as the number of tourists plunged, and the government incurred steep reconstruction costs to rebuild the battered northeast region. Some pro-casino lobbyists have argued that casino revenue would bring a fresh stream of much-needed funds into government coffers without having to raise taxes.”

Paddy’s €6 million Italian plan EXPANSION into the Italian gaming market looks like it could be on the cards for bookmaker Paddy Power. The planned expansion is said to cost the group €6 million this year, according to Peter O’Donovan, managing director of the group’s online and technology operations. They also claimed that they have teams in place to get the ball rolling.

Mr O’Donovan said recently the internet betting market over there was “immature and growing”. The plan to step on Italian soil has been in the process for around 15 months. especially as the betting market over there is slowly gathering momentum as it joins in with the gaming race.

The group said net revenues in 2011 grew 17 per cent to €499 million, from €427 million the previous year. Pre-tax profit increased more or less in tandem, rising 16 per cent to €121.2 million last year from €104.2 million in 2011.

The figures released show its combined internet businesses, Paddypower. com in Ireland and Britain, and Sportsbet in Australia, accounted for €306 million of its net revenues in 2011, 25 per cent more than the €247 million that they contributed in 2010.

Paddy Power also hopes to step into Nevada in the near future in its plan to expand. According to industry insiders, it applied to the state’s gaming commission for an internet gaming license in the second half of last year but expects the overall process to take more than 12 months to complete.

The two accounted for €97 million of its €119.5 million operating profits, more than 25 per cent ahead of the €77 million operating surplus that they generated in 2010.

SJM 2011 Profit Rises 49% PROFITS have risen 49% for SJM Holdings Ltd. (880), Asia’s biggest casino company. During 2011, tourists from China flocked to the gaming haven that is Macau and helped boost this rise. However, there are clearly bigger fish to fry. “Earnings aren’t my concern, the biggest problem is SJM’s falling market share,” Kenny Tang, Hong Kong-based general manager of AMTD Financial Planning Ltd., said before the earnings announcement.

Galaxy opened a new casino in Macau last year and Sands will have one opening this year which gives them greater growth potential than SJM, Tang said. “Macau is a supply driven market, not demand driven,” he said. “If you have new projects that will boost demand.”

Speaking on the annual results, Dr. Ambrose So, Chief Executive Officer of SJM Holdings Limited, said, “We are very pleased that SJM’s net profit and Adjusted EBITDA rose to record levels in 2011. These results, combined with our financial strength, enable our Board to propose an increase in dividend payments for the year of 108.6%.”

The company said that the income was fuelled by the world’s biggest gambling hub, as it’s the only place in China where its legal. SJM, founded by billionaire Stanley Ho, has lost market share as rivals open new luxury resorts in Macau, where casino revenue jumped 35 percent to 25 billion patacas ($3.1 billion) in January and has tripled in the past four years.

Shuffle Master acquires Ongame SHUFFLE MASTER has acquired Ongame Network Ltd in the latest round of acquisitions within the gaming world. It also fits nicely into Shufflemaster’s plan to expand its online presence.

“Our acquisition of Ongame will allow Shuffle Master to offer a scalable, proven and secure solution for online poker. Immediately upon closing the transaction, we will be able to begin leveraging all of Ongame’s experience and expertise in iGaming,” said Gavin Isaacs, Chief Executive Officer of Shuffle Master.

“I am confident that Ongame will fit seamlessly into our ongoing interactive initiatives of delivering our renowned brands to online gaming operators, partner web sites, social networks and mobile platforms. Poker is a natural fit for our table-centric online offerings and our many jurisdictional licenses present a compelling opportunity for our current and future online customers. This acquisition is further evidence of our great momentum as we continue to execute on our core businesses and pursue our strategic objectives for future growth. We look forward to Ongame joining the Shuffle Master family and we welcome them on board.”

“Shuffle Master is renowned for offering its customers a unique and diverse suite of products designed to meet the needs of today’s online operators and casinos,” said Peter Bertilsson, Managing Director of Ongame. “We believe that our experience and expertise in the European market is a natural fit with Shuffle Master’s considerable commitment and history in developing innovative games and products for land based operators. I am confident that together, our organizations are going to be able to develop the very best in new and innovative solutions for the iGaming market.”

The acquisition cost bwin.party to Shuffle Master euro 19.5 million in cash, subject to certain adjustments at closing, and may pay up to euro 10 million in cash within five years of closing. It’s also been reported in the Wall Street Journal that Shuffle Master’s stock climbed 27%.

William Hill salvaging talks with Playtech?

PLAYTECH and William Hill are due to commence their talks this month following their breakdown last year, according to the Financial Times. “It is imperative that all options are explored, including structural changes to the joint venture, something we are not opposed to,” Playtech’s chief executive Mor Weizman is quoted as saying the article.

The article referred to William Hill aiming for strategic control over the fastest-growing division in its business by ending Playtech’s veto over acquisitions. Playtech, which owns 29 percent of William Hill Online, has been the bookmaker’s online partner since 2008, when it paid 250 million euros (209 million pounds) for its stake.

The FT also said: “A person close to the company said Playtech had “more than one competitor knocking on its doorstep” if William Hill terminated the joint venture. William Hill declined to comment.”

Last year, William Hill took out an injunction to prevent Playtech from selling its stake. Later on, it pulled out of the deal to buy Probability, according to the article.

$1 billion Sydney casino JAMES Packer’s plan to build an extravagant $1 billion hotel and casino in Sydney has been given the go ahead. Crown Casino group wants to develop the plan at Central Barangaroo, between the Headland Park and the commercial hub of Barangaroo South, on land set aside as playing fields for office workers.

NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell has expressed his support for Packer’s plans saying it will bring in jobs to the area.

“I think it’s an exciting proposal which could add extra life to Barangaroo, give Sydney another world-class hotel, generate jobs and boost tourism,” Mr O’Farrell said in media reports.

Tourism Transport Forum Chief John Lee said a signature hotel gracing the front page of luxury travel magazines was what Sydney needed to get its mojo back.

Mr Lee said in The Daily Telegraph a Singapore equivalent proposed at the same time as Barangaroo had been open for two years, increased gross domestic product by 12 per cent and driven up tourism by a third.

“In Sydney, we have just got the digging machines out.

“We are sick of this can’t do attitude; let’s encourage people to freshen up the city, and make it better so it can be the global city it deserves to be.”

Greens MP John Kaye says Sydney does not need a second casino.

“There shouldn’t be a back door deal between the Packers and the Premier - this should be a matter of public debate,” he said.

“If you put this to the people of New South Wales they will say no to a new casino because they know it increases problem gambling, they know it increases connections to organised crime.”

Sydney is limited by law to one casino until 2019.

Aristocrat teams up with Bally Technologies Aristocrat Technologies has partnered up with the interactive division of Bally Technologies to offer the benefit of their poker networks as a business-to-business product for US operators as the belief of online gambling returning to the US very soon. Most observers believe this will happen sometime in 2013 and many of the leading gaming suppliers are now preparing the groundwork along with partnering to ensure they are ready.

The two companies will arrange deals with leading poker providers, integrating the products into their respective i-gaming platforms.

Bally recently acquired Chiligaming’s online gambling platform, whilst Aristocrat has secured a deal with the GameAccount Network.

Richard Haddrill, chief exec at Bally Technologies, says: “By teaming up, Bally & Aristocrat can source & integrate with the strongest online poker products, specifically tailored for this market, which can help our customers maintain their leadership position in both land-based & on-line gaming.”

The deal shows the importance to even once traditional land based suppliers to involve themselves in the igaming industry once legalised.

Banning it is a problem ONLINE gambling has been labeled as ‘ubiquitous’ & enforcing a ban is a problem, parliamentarians are told. The hot topic was at the heart of committee discussion on Friday where the positives and negatives were looked into.

Business Day reports that members of the committee discussed potential problem areas such as the prevention of money laundering, underage gambling & illegal gambling operators. Current legislation prohibits gambling via internet sites that offer casinos & poker, & wagering on non-South African betting sites is also not allowed.

Committee chairman Joan Fubbs said online gambling could not be ignored & was ubiquitous in SA, whilst Democratic Alliance MP Geordin Hill-Lewis observed that “online gambling is a fact in SA. Prohibition is impossible & at the moment it is taking place in a completely unregulated environment & we are deriving no economic benefit from it.”

National Gambling Board representatives recommended that if legalisation is approved, the number of online gambling licenses should be restricted to manageable numbers & be strictly regulated. Licenses should only be valid for eight years & measures would be needed to protect gamblers against fraudulent operators & exclude underage or problem gamblers, they emphasised.

Betgenius and Codere extend their agreement BETGENIUS Limited, the leading innovator and provider of data-driven software and marketing solutions to the global sports betting and lottery industries, announces a renewed agreement to license the Betgenius Sportsbook Management solution to leading Spanish and Latin American betting operator, Codere.

After two years of fully integrated operation, Codere has signed a contract extension to its current Sportsbook Management licence for a further term of two years.By using the Betgenius Sportsbook Management products, Codere will continue to benefit from the most sophisticated tools to automate both pre-match and in-play betting from event creation, through to pricing and resulting.

Matt Stephenson, Business Development Director of Betgenius Limited, said: “Having worked closely with Codere for the past two years, we’re very excited about extending this current agreement for a further two. Codere is of course a leading operator in Spain as well as in Latin America and we are sure that this extension will enable their brands to extend further still using Sportsbook Manager.”

Peter Lucas, Head of Sportsbook at Codere, added: “Betgenius’ range of trading products has enabled Codere to consolidate our market-leading position in Spain without having to hire dozens of new traders. A new two year deal gives us the confidence to enter new frontiers, both online in Spain and throughout Latin America.”

SORRY! CEO of Full Tilt Poker, Ray Bitar has spoken to the world of poker for the first time since Black Friday, giving the gaming world an insight into how his “life has drastically changed since last April.” Speaking to PokerStrategy.com, he delved into why he remained behind closed doors after Black Friday initially kicked off. He said: “One is the ongoing legal process which has precluded me from providing any relevant information surrounding the on-going investigation, and of course, I have not wanted to jeopardize the process in any way.”

His second justification was that he claims he has been vigorously working every single day to ensure that players see their cash. His silence is also down to “working on the future plans of FTP,” which weren’t specified at this stage. Ray said that if he kept on releasing public statements, then it would probably hinder the investigation as well as efforts to rectify the whole saga: “public statements would diminish the likelihood of a successful outcome, which is what we need to be focused on.”

He understands why the poker community are still livid at being out of pocket. Totally sympathising with them he said: “Given the lack of information that has been made public, I can certainly understand these sentiments. My primary focus has been and continues to be working towards getting us to where we want to be – the repayment of the players and the survival of the company. I have been fully dedicated to this cause and am doing everything possible for a beneficial outcome.”

In his closing statement to PokerStrategy, he left the gaming community with this thought: “I would like to offer my sincere apology to all who have been affected by these events and to clarify that my silence was not an attempt to “hide,” or “ignore,” the situation. It was done out of necessity to ensure the focus remained on the continued efforts to reach the best outcome for the players. My entire focus is on obtaining a successful resolution for the players. I hope that before long I can provide some good news for all of the players involved.”

Bally owed $3 million by Casino Owners THE Grand Station Casino in Vicksburg may go up for auction March 26 unless its owners resolve a $3 million claim from Bally Gaming Co. Reports are that Bally is foreclosing on the casino for the $3 million owed for gambling equipment inside Grand Station and the gambling boat at City Front. The foreclosure was filed Feb. 29 in federal court in Jackson.

Grand Station is owned by Delta Investments and Development.

Grand Station marketing director Mickey Fedell said the action does not affect an adjoining hotel. Fedell said the company has no other comment.

Bally has never been an owner of any of the five Vicksburg casinos, but has sold gambling equipment.

Grand Station was Harrah’s when it opened in November 1993. Harrah’s became Horizon in 2003, and its owner sold to Delta Investments in 2010.

Bally, according to court records, agreed in 2011 to loan Delta $3 million to fund capital reserves, upgrade gaming equipment, upgrade casino computer systems and finance renovations to the casino.

Bally claims in court documents that Delta had not paid on the loan since Sept. 1, and owed Bally $491,837 in payments accrued from Sept. 1 until Jan. 20.

Delta Investments bought the former Horizon Casino from Tropicana Entertainment in December 2010 for $3.25 million in cash plus liabilities associated with the casino.

Among those was a promise to continue payments to the City of Vicksburg for City Front property, a 2.95-acre part of the public area by the Yazoo River Diversion Canal, plus the casino’s parking garages.

The city sold the property to Harrah’s when it built the casino and hotel in 1993. The public areas were leased back to the city for $1 a year.

Since the casino has been open, the city has received about $10.1 million from its owners.

Vicksburg Mayor Paul Winfield said the foreclosure should not affect the City Front payments to the city.

“We are going to get our money,” he said. “We are going to look out for the city’s rights.”

Allen Godfrey, executive director of the Mississippi Gaming Commission, said state officials were aware of the foreclosure. He said it could affect the casino’s future depending on the result of the dispute between Bally and Delta.

Grand Station is Vicksburg’s only downtown casino and was the second to open, as Harrah’s.

Zynga: Online gambling “very interesting.”

INTERNET gambling could be seeing the light if speculation is anything to go by. Zynga recently revealed that they are searching for partners in online gambling; their move towards the plan has been strengthened when Zynga COO John Schappert said online gambling is “very interesting” in a conference call.

In the call with analysts, in response to a question about online gambling, Schappert said,”I think it’s actually a very interesting opportunity, because we’re in a unique position. We have the world’s largest online poker game and the most social online poker game we’ve been running for four years.

We had record results last quarter. And it’s one of the top six games on Facebook. So I think we’re in a very good position and it’s a category that’s interesting to us.”

The main hurdle to overcome is the legislation issues facing the U.S. Other notes from Zynga CEO Mark Pincus‘conference call with analysts: • Zynga has grown its mobile user base to 15 million daily active users, which is up five-fold from a year ago.

zations. The money was then withdrawn in cash.

Both of the companies refused to comment about the charges against them.

The bogus NGOs which reportedly received money from the Helvet Group include the Association for the Defense of Rights and Justice (SOPS), which according to the FAÚ received Kč 16.7 million ($893,000 US). Among other recipients of “contributions” from Merkur Casino was the inactive Association for the Support and Promotion of UNESCO World Heritage Monuments to which the casino chain operator transferred Kč 3.5 million ($187,000 US), and Tree of Life – a Czechoslovak Society about which the only information available is that its registered address is near Prague’s main airport.

Two other supposed charities, Greenway Centrum and Our Rainbow (Naše duha) are registered at the same address. The only sign of any activity from either are virtual plans for an ecological center. Together these two organizations received almost Kč 16 million (855,000 US).

The tax exemption enjoyed by Czech betting and gambling firms has finally been scrapped. Until now, instead of paying any corporate or gambling tax, lottery firms were required to donate to charities but free to choose which good causes they could sponsor. From this year they are subject to corporate tax, a new gambling tax, plus a local income tax.

• On the international front, Zynga doubled its international revenue year-over-year, through increased localization. Its games are now available in 17 languages compared to five languages a year ago.

• In terms of individual game performance, Zynga’s new game Mafia Wars 2 came in below expectations but its new Ville franchise game CastleVille performed better than expected. Mafia Wars 2 “didn’t resonate as well with consumers,” Pincus said.

New gambling duty announced

• The company’s Z Cloud, its own cloud infrastructure, was by the end of the year managing nearly 80% of the company’s daily active users, up from 20% in the beginning of the year.

Czech Gambling Operators to face criminal charges The Czech Finance Ministry’s anti-money laundering and financial crimes watchdog, the Financial Analytical Unit (FAÚ), says hundreds of millions of crowns which gambling and betting firms should have put into charitable causes was effectively embezzled. The accusations were outlined in its annual report for 2011 released last month. On Thursday, the daily Hospodářské noviny (HN) published the names of the firms against which the FAÚ has lodged criminal complaints.

HN reported that the Helvet Group “diverted” Kč 140 million ($7.5 million US), and Merkur Casino – Kč 100 million ($5.3 million US), which the firms claimed they had given to worthy causes. According to the criminal complaints lodged by the FAÚ, all that money made its way back to the companies. For the most part they allegedly operated a scam based on sending money to the accounts of registered, but inactive charities and civic organi-

Breaking News from the UK Budget regarding Gaming, from George Osborne :New Machine Games Duty for gambling industry with a standard rate of 20pc and a lower rate for low-prize machines of 5pc of net takings New gambling tax regime will impose tax at the place of consumption, to discourage online gambling moving offshore

Playtech profits soar

Rank & Gala Coral deal

Playtech, the world’s biggest provider of online gaming software, reported a 22 percent jump in earnings and said 2012 had started well following a series of acquisitions that have bolstered its presence in an expanding internet gambling industry.

RANK in late January confirmed it is in discussions with Gala Coral over the possible acquisition of Gala’s casino business. The deal would make Rank, which owns the Grosvenor Casino and Mecca Bingo chains, Britain’s biggest casino operator. However it has been now several weeks and no deal has yet been announced.

The Estonia-based company, which operates a joint venture with Britain’s biggest bookmaker William Hill, reported adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation for 2011 of 125.5 million euros ($163.48 million)compared to 103.1 million euros in 2010.

“Playtech has continued to focus on regulated markets with organic development and targeted acquisitions that will ensure it can take best advantage of the opportunities created by the structural changes underway across the worldwide gaming industry,” Chairman Roger Withers said in a statement on Thursday.

“In view of the company’s board changes and progress in the last year, Playtech looks forward to an exciting year ahead with potential new joint venture partnerships, new licensee prospects and a commitment to joining the Main Market.”

The company said the year had started well, with like-for-like growth in daily average revenues for the first nine weeks of 2012 up over 23 percent compared to the same period last year.

Playtech said technology acquisitions since January 2011 – Intelligent Gaming, Mobenga, Ash Gaming, Geneity and PTTS – were performing well. The firm raised 100 million pounds through a share placing announced in November to fund new acquisitions.

Total revenue for 2011 increased 46 percent to 207.5 million euros, compared to 142.3 million euros in 2010. The company ended the year with 137.3 million euros cash following its fundraising towards the end of the year.

Playtech is proposing a combined interim and final dividend of 16.5 cents per share.

Playtech said in January that it saw opportunities to expand globally as gambling laws relax worldwide.

The company said it was in talks with possible U.S. partners after the Justice Department said that only online betting on sporting contests was unlawful, making a re-opening of the country’s online gambling market possible.

The firm recently announced joint ventures with German gaming machine business Merkur and South African gaming and hospitality business Peermont.

Rank’s confirmation came after the Sunday Times reported that it was in advanced discussions to acquire Gala Casinos for £250m. The deal would see Rank, which is 74% owned by Malaysian-based gambling group Guoco, merge its 35 Grosvenor Casinos chain with the 24 casinos owned by Gala.

While Rank doing the deal would expect that there could be some competition issues and it may take time to deliver synergies, the deal would make sense financially and strategically for Rank.

A break-up of Gala, has been on the cards ever since the company became embroiled in a complex debt restructuring in 2010. In December it disclosed it had net debts of £1.3bn.

Rank has long been mooted as a possible buyer of Gala casinos for quite a long time, though acquisitions were temporarily put on hold last year when it was itself controversially purchased by its biggest shareholder – Malaysia’s Guoco.

However now the dust has settled on Rank, Buying Gala’s casinos would accelerate the plans of Ian Burke, Rank’s executive chairman, to expand the gaming group’s Grosvenor chain to 45 venues by 2015.

Ian Burke is already converting many of the Grosvenor outlets to a new G Casino brand, the first of which was rolled out in Manchester in 2006, aimed at attracting a younger clientele.

Selling the casino wing would help Gala strengthen its balance sheet – but could also herald further break-up of the group, which is run by chief executive Carl Leaver, the former head of Marks & Spencer’s international arm.

One reason certainly is the logistics of some of Gala Casinos would have to close should Rank buy them, the operator would not want to have two or even three casinos in one town. Either closure and redundancies or possibly a sell on to Genting of those properties or another buyer, could be delaying the deal.

The possibility of the competitions rule could be another and finally the asking price from Gala Coral. Although what is believed to be £250 million, is not that expensive as analysts have already indicated.

Whenever the deal is announced and certainly will be, the UK will see the emergence of the biggest casino operator, called Grosvenor Casinos.

Tycoon to come out of hiding for US trial

IGT’s cloud goes live INTERNATIONAL Game Technology (NYSE: IGT), the global leader in driving technology innovations in the gaming industry, today announced the go live of the IGT Cloud at the newly remodeled Reval Park Hotel & Casino in Tallinn, Estonia.

DANIEL Tzvetkoff, dubbed as the Queensland internet whiz who toppled America’s multibillion-dollar online poker industry is set to come out of hiding next month, according to speculation. He is set to give evidence on the April 9 New York trial of his erstwhile Las Vegas-based business partner, Chad Elie, & a Utah banker, John Campos, reports the Australian newspaper The Age. Back in 2010, he struck a deal with the US government, stating that he could help them pin and prosecute three of the world’s largest online gambling companies: PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker and Absolute Poker. By taking this path, he dodged the 75-year sentence he faced. His location at the moment is still yet unknown.

Elie, 31, is charged with nine offences including conspiring to commit bank fraud & money laundering, whilst Campos, a 57-year-old executive at Utah’s SunFirst Bank who allegedly agreed to process gambling transactions, is charged with six offences.

The Age claims that Tzvetkoff, whose Queensland-based company Intabill allegedly processed more than $US1 billion worth of illegal transactions between US gamblers & internet gaming websites based offshore, has handed more than 90,000 documents, including confidential emails, over to US investigators.

This week, Elie’s lawyers complained to the judge handling the case that, on the eve of the trial, prosecutors dumped a “mountain of documents” on them, including Tzvetkoff’s emails.

“For example, although the government had previously produced emails for Daniel Tzvetkoff, one of the government’s main witnesses in this case, the material we recently received revealed that Mr Tzvetkoff had deleted his emails from the Intabill server, which had previously been made available to the defence, & that the Tzvetkoff emails that were included in prior productions were therefore ones that Mr Tzvetkoff had cherry-picked for the government,” Monday’s filing from Elie’s lawyers, Barry Berke & Dani James, stated.

“Only after we pointed this out to the government did we receive a full set of Mr Tzvetkoff’s materials, which included more than 90,000 documents & which we were able to access for the first time only yesterday.”

Tzvetkoff lived the high life in his native Australia before his arrest, with a luxury mansion & a garage filled with expensive sports cars.

This week former FBI agent Harold Copus told The Age: “He’s turned the corner, seen the light & is cooperating,” after reviewing the details of the case.

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The IGT Cloud will allow Olympic Casino Eesti to provide seamless gaming experiences while significantly reducing their capital expenditure investment. Specifically, the Cloud allows for the download and configuration of games to machines on the casino floor and adds the ability to use deep analytics to make timely decisions based upon player behavior. Olympic Casino Eesti was initially attracted to the IGT Cloud because of the operational efficiency that it will provide for their casino management infrastructure.

“Our Cloud technology is focused on helping our customers deliver innovative gaming experiences in ways that will maximize their floor capabilities, player experiences and overall performance,” said Craig Churchill, IGT senior vice president International. “We are extremely excited to partner with Olympic Casino Eesti to enable them to completely transform the way they provide gaming entertainment to their players.”